Department of FoodieDepartment of FoodieBustling kosher cafe for bagels sandwiches with many cream cheeses & meats, plus soups & salads.
What to order: Everything Bagel with Scallion Cream Cheese · Signature FavoriteFrom Google Maps reviews.
Tried the signature sandwich from Essa Bagel NYC honestly, mixed feelings. It’s a pretty big sandwich and definitely filling, but for $19, I expected something more memorable. The bagel itself is solid and the ingredients are fresh, but taste-wise it’s nothing special. Not bad by any means, just not worth the price in my opinion. If you’re hungry and want a big portion, it’ll do the job but for the hype and cost, I was expecting better
I always wanted to know why there was a big line in third Avenue for years, but I tried the one in first Avenue. I actually ordered a toasted plain bagel with cream cheese. The bagel itself was toasted and it was also moist. I ate the other half towards the end of the day and it was still good. I did add a little strawberry jam on top of the plain bagel, but on top of it I was really shocked that the bagel itself was not hard. Usually the other bagels that I’ve tried towards the end of the day i
Love how big these bagels are (biggest I’ve had so far) and all of the options. Loved the egg white options since most other places don’t have this. Pizza bagel was also good but thought there was a ton of tomato sauce. The potato knish was cool too! I Personally found the bagels to be hard on the outside, which I don’t like. Other than that, everything was great and I do plan to come back
From the Jun 10, 2026 health inspection. Lower-priority items are listed after the serious ones.
Food surfaces weren't washed and sanitized between uses.
Food was left exposed to possible contamination during storage, prep, or serving.
Shelves, ledges, or equipment exteriors aren't clean or easy to clean.